Wool cleaning



Patented Mar. 27, 1923.

UNITED STATE HIRAM YOUNG MoBRIDE, OI DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNOB, TO THE UNITED S'IA'JJES WOOL COMPANY, OI DENVER, COLORADO, A CORPORATION OF ARIZONA.

wooL CLEANING.

No Drawing. Application filed. April 23, 1920, Serial No. 376,130. Renewed May 29, 1922. Serial No.

To allwhomz'tmy concern:

Be it known that I, HIRAM YOUNG Mo- BRIDE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Denver, in the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wool Cleaning, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to wool cleaning;

and it comprises a method of cleaning raw or greasy wool wherein. such wool is agitated for a time with dead burnt gypsum that is, gypsum or. plaster of Paris which has been roasted at a sufiicient temperature and for a suflicient time to lose substantially entirelyits power for combining with water; all as more fully hereinafter Set forth and as claimed. I

In the preparation of wool-for use in the zoindustries, it is a necessary preliminary step to free the raw wool of the natural grease, suint, or yolk which it contains; a more or less indefinite'material containing various water soluble potassium salts,

greasesand various other organic matters. The wool must also be freed of various other extraneous materials, dirt, etc. Upon the completeness of the removal of these natural impurities depends much of the success of subsequent operations in fabric making. The foreign matters in the wool are, more or less, like a varnish over" the surface and this varnish must be removed. The wool fiber has a more or less rough or serrated? surface, and it is particularly diificult to remove all traces of the foreign matter occurring in the serrations of the fiber. One type of methodused for ,clean-' ing raw woolis to agitate it with various 40 dry powders. The dirt, wool grease, etc. are taken up by these powders and may be removed with them. While many such powders may be used and certain have been 'proposed, they do not by any means act alike and it is difiicult to secure one which will produce the desired type of thoroughgoing purification; to secure a material which will effectually remove all vthe extraneous matter from the wool fibers and which can itself be entirely removed with facility.

One of the best of these. pulverulent materials is gypsum, or plaster of Paris, in

its various forms. Gypsum, chemically conrially improved as a wool cleaning material by treating it in another manner than that customarily employed in dehydrating.

As is well known in the art .of making cementitious materials, if the roasting or baking beat too high a temperature and for too long a period, the gypsum not only loses its water but loses the capacity for taking up water again. The roasted material will not set with water. In this condition, which [is one that *is carefully avoided by those who produce gypsum materials for the trade, the gypsum is known as dead burnt; burning has been carried so far that the material remains dead in contact with water. I

I have found that dead burnt gypsum in contact'with greasy wool removes the dirt much more thoroughly than other varieties of gypsum materials. And I find that not only does it take off the grease, etc. from the surface of-the fibers but it also removes the grease from the serrations; producing a wool which ,spin's,ffelts and weaves with unusual facility and which takes dyes and colors much more readily and-sharply than otherwise purified wool. As for the reason for the observed superiority of dead burnt sum over ordinary gypsum material, am not certain and content myself with noting thepbserved fact without committing myself to any theory as to the reasons therefor. I may note however that, whatever the reasons may be, wool cleaning by pulverulent materials is a matter involving, at least to some extent, adsorption phenomena; and adsorption of greasy matters by surfaces which do not contain, and will not take up water, is better than it ever is .with moist or hydrated surfaces. But whatever the reason, the fact is as stated: that gypsum deprived of the power of combining with water by dead burning removes grease, etc. much more effectually than other gypseous materials, even where such material is baked to a substantially anhydrous condition by a baking for a shorter time and at a lower temperature.

One incidental advantage of using dead burnt gypsum for the' present purposes which I have noted is, that such gypsum does not tend to clump up, since such moisture as is in the wool does not affect it.

In reparing gypsum for my purposes, any ordinary gypseous material of good quality, such as native gypsum, land plaster, plaster 'of Paris, etc., may be employed. (Jalcination of some gypsums at a temperature of 500 C. for two hours ives a material suitable for my purposes. "I have found it advantageous, in most instances, to calcine the gypsum at about 760 C. for a period of about forty-eight hours-gypsum so caltime and at a sufficient temperature to cause cined has given satisfactory results. Any ordinary type of calcining apparatus adapted for economical treatment of the material at a high temperature may be used. Calcination should be carried on .for a sufiicient the material to lose' its power of setting with water; and should be controlled'by tests from time to time. The material is best reduced to a powder of at least 250 mesh prior to use,

The powder maybe distributed through the wool by any suitable form of agitating device. Vith a good'quality of dead burnt gypsum, it will be found that after the agitation is complete, thegypsum, together with the matters taken up, may be readily removed by any suitable dusting device of standard type, leaving no residue of either gypsum or grease on the wool. The wool s clean and 1s ready for manufacturlng, etc.

In contacting the wool and the dead burnt gypsum, this is best done if the wool is warmed, say, between 100 and 140 F., as this facilitates the action of the dead burnt gypsum in taking up grease, etc.

In practical embodiments of my invention it is advantageous to pick the wool preliminarily in any ofthe usual devices, adding a little dead burnt gypsum to it during the picking. The' icked wool, together with the gypsum, may then be passed through a warm chamber, say, at 100 to 140 F., by means of an imperforate belt. More dead burnt gypsum may be added during this time. Finally the wool may he delivered to a perforate belt in the same chamber. Most of the gypsum and the matter taken up thereby is dropped through the perforations at-the bottom of the chamber whence it may be removed by a conveyor or other suitable device. Finally the wool may be freed of the rest of the gypsum, etc.,,in any ordinary dusting or heating device.

The subject-matter of this application is principally derived from my application Serial No. 142,471, filed Jan. 15, 1917, of which; the present application is a continuation in part.

What I claim is The process of cleaning Wool which oomprises agitating such ,wool with dead burnt gypsum.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature hereto. e

HIBAM YOUNG MoBRIDE. 

